If you’re having money problems, there’s no reason for it. You’ve talked yourself into this situation, and your behavior follows the path you’ve created. I know all too well.
Here’s my story, chapter and verse ~ how I stopped being broke and started taking steps to fix the situation.
A few facts
- When I was in my early 30’s, my money was in a mess. When bills or banking statements came in the mail, I stuffed them in a drawer, unopened.
- The month was longer than the money held out ~ help!
- Nothing I did seemed to stop this endless cycle of irresponsibility.
- I had a mindset I wasn’t worth more than I was making,
- But I wanted to more money . . .
Lynne Twist, author of The Soul of Money: Transforming Your Relationship with Money and Life gives us food for thought:
Rarely in our life is money a place of genuine freedom, joy, or clarity, yet we routinely allow it to dictate the terms of our lives and often to be the single most important factor in the decisions we make about work, love, family, and friendship.
The first step
I knew I had to get to work and dig deeply into my attitudes about money. Once I started to examine the way I thought about money, I found two limiting paradigms:
- It’s not all right to make more money than the man you’re with.
- It’s not fair to make a lot of money when people are starving.
Then there were the old and tired limiting beliefs, and they still had a strong influence on me. See if can think of any more rules that hold you stuck in place.
- Money is the root of all evil.
- I’m not the kind of person to make a lot of money.
- If I made a lot of money, I’d be horrible and greedy.
- and more . . .
Look for evidence in your life that follows this path.
Then I followed the thought of scarcity and unworthiness. What could my poverty help those who were starving? How could I help them when I couldn’t even pay my own bills? And on and on.
The second step
And then the light bulb came on. I was stuck in a path where I did not want to go down. I wanted my life to matter, and I wanted to earn more money, which I secretly thought I deserved. Now that was a breakthrough!
Think about what’s holding your limiting beliefs, thoughts, and feelings in place.
The third step
Create a new paradigm that’s headed where you want to go. Here’s mine:
Money is abundant and flows spontaneously in life. Money allows me to express myself fully and contribute generously.
Think about what you want. First sentence I wanted to rid my thoughts of there’s never enough money, and it’s not coming to me. Second sentence I wanted my life to matter and to good things for other people.
Have a good look at this photo. I chose to have the rings go out and contribute. And I wanted the people I helped to be inspired to give their money and life.
The fourth step
Create a new, empowering paradigm. Get in touch with what you want ~ the circumstances and the path you want to pursue. No matter how impossible it is, go for it!
Rules for a new empowering paradigm:
- Personal
- Present tense
- Positive
- Powerfully stated
- Pointing to an exciting new possibility
It must be personal to be powerful. It must be present tense ~ otherwise, it will never come to be. It has to be positive and powerfully stated. And, not matter how impossible it seems, stay with it!
Look at my money paradigm ~ I’ve had this attitude for decades, and it’s never changed. “Money is abundant and flows spontaneously in life. Money allows me to express myself fully and contribute generously.”
Review of steps ~ homework
- Think about your thoughts, feelings, and rules about money.
- Discover your strongest limiting attitude or paradigm ~ the one that’s holding you back.
- Create new, empowering paradigm.
- Learn the art of transformation ~ be aware of when you are ensnared in your strongest belief. Replace it with your new paradigm.
My husband and I have contribute generously to our family and organizations we believe in, we are expressing ourselves fully, and we’re having a good time.
I wouldn’t have dreamed way back then that I would be wealthy instead of broke!